Regulation of Preferential Flow by Soil Thickness on Small Hillslopes With Complex Topography Through Intensive High‐Frequency Soil Moisture Monitoring
Abstract Preferential flow (PF) is a relatively rapid water movement that significantly impacts geophysical processes. However, identifying PF and its environmental control mechanisms remains challenging, primarily due to soil spatial heterogeneity. In this study, 20 sensors were installed on two hi...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112674 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850149029984337920 |
|---|---|
| author | Jun Zhang Sheng Wang Zhiyong Fu Fa Wang Kelin Wang Hongsong Chen |
| author_facet | Jun Zhang Sheng Wang Zhiyong Fu Fa Wang Kelin Wang Hongsong Chen |
| author_sort | Jun Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Preferential flow (PF) is a relatively rapid water movement that significantly impacts geophysical processes. However, identifying PF and its environmental control mechanisms remains challenging, primarily due to soil spatial heterogeneity. In this study, 20 sensors were installed on two hillslopes with distinct soil thicknesses to monitor moisture at 5‐min intervals. PF types were identified based on moisture response sequence to rainfall across layers, and relationships among PF frequency (PFF), soil depth, and rainfall characteristics were determined. Macropore flow was the main PF type, followed by soil‒bedrock interface flow. On the hillslope with deep soil cover, PFF was significantly negatively correlated with soil depth. Comparison, on the hillslope with shallow soil cover, PFF was not influenced by soil depth but more notably controlled by rainfall intensity and antecedent soil moisture. Accordingly, these findings highlight the critical roles of the soil thickness in shaping PF characteristics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3093dcd302594a4cb6be9e83d2248ba3 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-3093dcd302594a4cb6be9e83d2248ba32025-08-20T02:27:05ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-03-01525n/an/a10.1029/2024GL112674Regulation of Preferential Flow by Soil Thickness on Small Hillslopes With Complex Topography Through Intensive High‐Frequency Soil Moisture MonitoringJun Zhang0Sheng Wang1Zhiyong Fu2Fa Wang3Kelin Wang4Hongsong Chen5Key Laboratory of Agro‐Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region Institute of Subtropical Agriculture Chinese Academy of Sciences Changsha ChinaKey Laboratory of Agro‐Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region Institute of Subtropical Agriculture Chinese Academy of Sciences Changsha ChinaKey Laboratory of Agro‐Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region Institute of Subtropical Agriculture Chinese Academy of Sciences Changsha ChinaKey Laboratory of Agro‐Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region Institute of Subtropical Agriculture Chinese Academy of Sciences Changsha ChinaKey Laboratory of Agro‐Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region Institute of Subtropical Agriculture Chinese Academy of Sciences Changsha ChinaKey Laboratory of Agro‐Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region Institute of Subtropical Agriculture Chinese Academy of Sciences Changsha ChinaAbstract Preferential flow (PF) is a relatively rapid water movement that significantly impacts geophysical processes. However, identifying PF and its environmental control mechanisms remains challenging, primarily due to soil spatial heterogeneity. In this study, 20 sensors were installed on two hillslopes with distinct soil thicknesses to monitor moisture at 5‐min intervals. PF types were identified based on moisture response sequence to rainfall across layers, and relationships among PF frequency (PFF), soil depth, and rainfall characteristics were determined. Macropore flow was the main PF type, followed by soil‒bedrock interface flow. On the hillslope with deep soil cover, PFF was significantly negatively correlated with soil depth. Comparison, on the hillslope with shallow soil cover, PFF was not influenced by soil depth but more notably controlled by rainfall intensity and antecedent soil moisture. Accordingly, these findings highlight the critical roles of the soil thickness in shaping PF characteristics.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112674soil moistureinfiltrationpreferential flowsubsurface stormflowkarst systems |
| spellingShingle | Jun Zhang Sheng Wang Zhiyong Fu Fa Wang Kelin Wang Hongsong Chen Regulation of Preferential Flow by Soil Thickness on Small Hillslopes With Complex Topography Through Intensive High‐Frequency Soil Moisture Monitoring Geophysical Research Letters soil moisture infiltration preferential flow subsurface stormflow karst systems |
| title | Regulation of Preferential Flow by Soil Thickness on Small Hillslopes With Complex Topography Through Intensive High‐Frequency Soil Moisture Monitoring |
| title_full | Regulation of Preferential Flow by Soil Thickness on Small Hillslopes With Complex Topography Through Intensive High‐Frequency Soil Moisture Monitoring |
| title_fullStr | Regulation of Preferential Flow by Soil Thickness on Small Hillslopes With Complex Topography Through Intensive High‐Frequency Soil Moisture Monitoring |
| title_full_unstemmed | Regulation of Preferential Flow by Soil Thickness on Small Hillslopes With Complex Topography Through Intensive High‐Frequency Soil Moisture Monitoring |
| title_short | Regulation of Preferential Flow by Soil Thickness on Small Hillslopes With Complex Topography Through Intensive High‐Frequency Soil Moisture Monitoring |
| title_sort | regulation of preferential flow by soil thickness on small hillslopes with complex topography through intensive high frequency soil moisture monitoring |
| topic | soil moisture infiltration preferential flow subsurface stormflow karst systems |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112674 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT junzhang regulationofpreferentialflowbysoilthicknessonsmallhillslopeswithcomplextopographythroughintensivehighfrequencysoilmoisturemonitoring AT shengwang regulationofpreferentialflowbysoilthicknessonsmallhillslopeswithcomplextopographythroughintensivehighfrequencysoilmoisturemonitoring AT zhiyongfu regulationofpreferentialflowbysoilthicknessonsmallhillslopeswithcomplextopographythroughintensivehighfrequencysoilmoisturemonitoring AT fawang regulationofpreferentialflowbysoilthicknessonsmallhillslopeswithcomplextopographythroughintensivehighfrequencysoilmoisturemonitoring AT kelinwang regulationofpreferentialflowbysoilthicknessonsmallhillslopeswithcomplextopographythroughintensivehighfrequencysoilmoisturemonitoring AT hongsongchen regulationofpreferentialflowbysoilthicknessonsmallhillslopeswithcomplextopographythroughintensivehighfrequencysoilmoisturemonitoring |